The 21st Century Cures Act, which Price supported and which passed Congress in December 2016, will be an asset for Innate Immunotherapeutics, as it will weaken safety testing and clinical trials in order to expedite approval of drugs and devices.

Devices also have a much lower threshold for approval by the FDA than do drugs, having had expedited approval under a ruse calling modified devices “substantially equivalent.” If Price is confirmed as head of HHS, I hate to think what other gifts he will provide pharma and device manufacturers.

What is quite disturbing, however, is that less that a week later, Price introduced the “HIP Act,” a bill that greatly benefited Biomet financially by delaying implementation of certain new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulations.

Price opposed other CMS regulations that would have hurt surgeons and manufacturers. A few years ago I wrote, “Devices cost $76 billion annually in the United States alone, and the profit margin for devices like defibrillators and prosthetic hips is over 20%.” Yet that isn’t enough to satisfy the industry?

This is not Price’s first such ethical lapse trying to help surgeons. As a staunch opponent of Medicare, Medicaid and similar safety net programs (see his membership in AAPS), Price proposed a bill that would have greatly benefited surgeons by allowing “balance billing.” This allows physicians to charge more and have the patient be responsible for the difference from what Medicare reimburses.

Unlike PEOTUS, Price has cooperated with the Office of Government Ethics in submitting information about his financial holdings and has promised to divest from holdings within 90 days of confirmation. But will he? Why would Secretary Price be able to maintain higher financial ethics than Congressman Price? Even if he doesn’t immediately benefit, will he continue to make decisions that benefit him and his cronies, rather than the public—people who bear not only the financial burden of decisions, but who will be hurt, with little recourse, by faulty devices?

Political contributions

Last fall, at the Medtrade conference on medical devices, Price pledged to oppose Medicare cuts that would hurt them, and was rewarded with an advocacy award and $100-per-person fundraiser in his honor, according to Kaiser Health News. They further note, “Providers of home medical equipment have ranked as key Price backers, contributing $52,600 to his campaign since 2013.” Home health companies contributed an additional $24,000.

Unsurprisingly, four out of five of Price’s largest contributors last election were health organizations.

There are so many lapses of judgment and ethics demonstrated by this Cabinet nominee, Tom Price, over the years. Even if he divests himself of these stocks, he is so mired with conflicts of interest from close ties to industry groups and has such a deep-seated antipathy toward Medicare and government-sponsored health insurance (ACA) that it is impossible to see him as head of HHS in any other capacity than to wield a wrecking ball.

His Senate confirmation hearings begin Wednesday, January 18th.

Should you choose to voice your opinion, contact information for Senators is available here or by calling the Capitol’s switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Call them about Cabinet appointments and their repeal of the ACA/Obamacare.

My book, "Conducting Clinical Research: A Practical Guide," can be found here. For more medical/pharma news and perspective, follow me on Twitter @drjudystone or here at Forbes

I am an Infectious Disease specialist, experienced in conducting clinical research and the author of Conducting Clinical Research, the essential guide to the topic. I survived 25 years in solo practice in rural Cumberland, Maryland, and now work part time as an Infectious Di...